Photographers Are Truly Amazing! My Personal Experience of Trusting Them with Destination Wedding Photos Without a Shot List ♩

2017.06.01 published

We did a post-wedding shoot on our honeymoon ♩

Hello, I'm Nagisa from marry＊

Recently, I went on my honeymoon to Santorini, Greece ♡ I've wanted to go to Santorini for my honeymoon and take wedding photos since I was a student (influenced by the movie Mamma Mia...!) and this time, I was finally able to make it happen＊

For the wedding photos, I asked a local photographer instead of going through a Japanese agency◎

Although I can hardly speak English, I managed to find a photographer through Instagram using translation sites and searching on Google, and somehow succeeded in the shoot＊

@nagisa_marry

We were able to take many wonderful photos♡

Did you make a shot list? How about the locations? What about hair and makeup???

I often receive questions on Instagram about the honeymoon photos, such as "Did you make a shot list?" "Did you get to choose the shooting locations?" and "What about hair and makeup?"＊

I didn’t particularly make a shot list. I had actually planned to do so, but being lazy, I didn’t prepare one in the end...! I just left everything to the photographer＊

But the photographer is a pro! Without us saying anything, they kept suggesting stylish poses like "Let’s try this pose next!"◎

Even if I had made a shot list, I would have probably chosen poses that are popular in Japan. While one should respect the local customs, I thought it might be better to leave it to the local photographer to capture chic, overseas wedding photos♩

Additionally, I specified two locations for the shoot＊ I figured that the photographers familiar with Santorini would take me to the famous spots, but I also sent images of places that seemed to be less popular and asked, "Can we take photos here as well?"＊

@nagisa_marry

I did my own hair and makeup ♩ I checked to see if there was a beauty salon near the hotel, but I couldn’t find one, so I decided to do it myself in the end.

For the first outfit, I styled a loose half-updo and added some flowers that were in the room, and for the second outfit, I simply put it in an updo and wore a headpiece I brought with me＊

The edited data is amazing...!

The photographer I hired typically delivers 100 edited shots. However, I thought, "Since we’re taking photos in a dream location, I want all the original data as well!" and asked the photographer for all the data♡

The photographer kindly accepted my request and sent me all the original and edited data after the shoot＊

What surprised me was the photographer's editing skills. Maybe because they are not based in Japan (?), the editing was astonishingly well done...!

First, take a look at the unedited data＊

Here’s the unedited data. It was a really cute shooting spot and I thought it was already more than enough, but...

Here’s the edited version. Even I, a novice, can see that:

* The edges have been cropped

* The slanted images have been straightened

* The photos have been brightened

* The sun by the window and the light below have been removed

Such edits were applied!

I always thought it was wonderful, but I was truly surprised when the edited version was sent to me.

I realized that being a photographer involves not only the "skill to take photos" but also the "skill to edit photos" is important too＊

What does "all data" from the photographer mean??

There are several occasions when you may hire a photographer, such as on the day of the wedding or for pre and post-wedding shoots.

Photography plans usually state something like "xx cuts delivered."

I have always thought, "Since there’s data available, they might as well just send me everything, including the ones with my eyes closed!"

Thus, I also asked the photographer on my wedding day to deliver "all data," but...

After receiving the photographer's "actual all data," I had a realization.

That is, the "all data" as stated by Japanese photographers may not truly mean all data!

The total number of original data I received from the overseas photographer was about 800 images.

Among those are shots where we appeared in test takes, and even photos of the floor that were accidentally clicked.

There were also about 20 similar photos, capturing fleeting moments.

Therefore, I believe that what Japanese photographers label as "all data" is perhaps, to some extent, indeed all, but they may not provide you with everything you shot; plus, they likely edit the brightness to some degree＊

So even if it says "all data," it may not represent "all data in the true sense (everything that was shot)," and I believe that in practice, one may not actually need all data in the truest sense◎

I also thought that a properly edited "xx cuts delivered" is sufficient!

@nagisa_marry

From the day of the wedding to wedding photos, choosing a photographer is truly important!

Furthermore, I felt that choosing a photographer is genuinely important! No matter how skilled a photographer is, the editing techniques can make such a big difference.

I thought that if I receive the original data, I could edit it myself to a certain extent, but it’s very challenging to edit hundreds of images by oneself, and one can scarcely match the skills of a professional.

While extensive editing is not always a good thing, I'm really pleased with how nicely the memories have been processed♩

Consequently, when choosing a photographer, while the photographer's skills are important, it’s also crucial to choose one who is good at editing!

The quality of the editing is probably something you can’t notice unless you are an expert photographer. I think it’s essential to consider whether you like the editing style＊

For instance, it’s good to select a photographer who creates warm-toned edits or one who uses sharp color palettes, paying attention to the "texture" of the photos as you choose your photographer♡

Post-wedding shoots during honeymoons are recommended ♡

I shared my experience of doing a post-wedding shoot on my honeymoon＊

Since there weren’t many Japanese photographers on Santorini for our honeymoon, I looked for a local photographer, but of course, there are many areas with Japanese companies available＊

If you have a Japanese photographer, you can communicate effectively and convey your desired poses easily♩

Having memorable photos with my husband in a coveted location was an incredibly happy time and has become a cherished memory＊ I definitely recommend brides going on their honeymoon to try out honeymoon photos♡

@nagisa_marry